Without Thomas, Celtics are Massive Underdogs vs Cavs in Game 3

The Boston Celtics were perceived as the most formidable team in the Eastern Conference who could take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, but through two games and two huge Cavs victories it’s looked like the men against the boys. With Game 3 set for Sunday in Ohio, sportsbooks opened the Cavs as huge 16-point home favorites with a total of 215.

Shark Bites
  • The OVER is 4-0 in the Cavaliers' last four home games.
  • The favorite is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
  • The UNDER is 5-1 in the Celtics' last six road games.

Cleveland dominated the first two games to improve to 10-0 in the postseason and tied an NBA record 13 straight playoff wins set by the 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics trailed 72-31 at halftime and barely avoided suffering the worst playoff defeat in franchise history in the 130-86 loss.

LeBron James has been absolutely unstoppable in the postseason, averaging 34.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists so far. King James recorded 30 points, seven assists, four steals and three blocked shots in Game 2. Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas has been the hero for Boston all year long but has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs after injuring his hip in Game 2.

The road team continues to cover the spread with ease when these teams collide, evidenced by road sides going 9-2-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings between the squads.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

Cleveland Cavaliers opened as -5-point favorites at online sportsbook Sportsbook, while the NBA total line was sitting around 220 at Sportsbook for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting on the total amount of points scored.

Odds Shark computer prediction handicapping models run on this game pick a 125-95 victory for the Cavaliers. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 61-31 so far on the NBA season, and 42-46-4 ATS vs the spread betting line. The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, are 61-36 and 50-46-1 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Cleveland go 54-36-2 and the Celtics go 46-47-4 on the total. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Cleveland vs Boston injuries news.

According to the betting Power Rankings at Odds Shark, it's the No. 17-rated Cleveland Cavaliers and the No. 11-rated Celtics in this NBA basketball matchup.

Statistical Matchup

The game also pits Cleveland's No. 4-ranked offense averaging 110.99 PPG, against a Boston Celtics defense that ranks No. 14 at 105.48 PPG. The Cleveland Cavaliers field goal percentage has averaged 47.31% so far, more than the Boston Celtics shooters have achieved on the year, 45.49% per game.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

 

Betting Trends
  • Boston is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
  • Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
  • Boston is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
  • Cleveland is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games
  • Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 13 of Cleveland's last 18 games
  • Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

Next Betting Matchups

Boston at Cleveland, Tuesday, May 23rd

The OVER is 4-0 in the Cavaliers' last four home games.home The favorite is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings. The UNDER is 5-1 in the Celtics' last six road games.away
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